Heat pipe manufacturing method

ABSTRACT

A heat pipe manufacturing method includes the steps of: providing a partially formed heat pipe with one open end; pouring a predetermined quantity of fluid working media into an intermediate pipe; solidifying the working media at a low temperature; inserting the solidified working media into the partially formed heat pipe; and vacuumizing and sealing the partially formed heat pipe.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a heat pipe.

2. Description of Related Art

Heat pipes have excellent heat transfer performance and thus are widely used in electronic devices, such as computers. A heat pipe includes a phase changeable working media contained in the pipe for transferring heat. The quantity of the working media must be appropriate to make the heat pipe transfer heat efficiently. A typical method of manufacturing the heat pipe is to insert a predetermined quantity of liquid working media into the heat pipe, then vacuumize, and at last seal the heat pipe. Yet, when vacuumizing the heat pipe, part of the working media will vaporize and escape from the pipe, thus, the quantity of the working media remaining in the heat pipe is not precisely known, and it may affect the heat transferring efficiency of the heat pipe.

Thus, what is needed is a heat pipe manufacturing method which overcomes the shortcomings mentioned above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawing. The components in the drawing are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a heat pipe manufacturing method according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIGS. 2 through 4 are schematic views showing successive stages of the heat pipe manufacturing method of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a heat pipe manufacturing method according to an exemplary embodiment includes steps described below:

Step S01: providing a partially formed heat pipe 10 with one open end. The partially formed heat pipe 10 includes a wall 11 and an inner wick structure 12. The wall 11 is made of copper, aluminum, stainless steel, alloy steel, or other material. In the present embodiment, the wall 11 is made of copper. The wall 11 is round. The diameter of the wall 11 is from 2 millimeters to 200 millimeters. The length of the wall 11 is from several millimeters to several hundred millimeters. The wick structure 12 is formed on the inner surface of the wall 11. The wick structure 12 can be a sintered type, a screen mesh type, or a grooved type. In this embodiment, the diameter of the wall 11 is 10 millimeters, the length of the wall 11 is 150 millimeters, and the wick structure 12 is a sintered type.

Step S02: pouring a predetermined quantity of fluid working media 30 into an intermediate pipe 20. The intermediate pipe 20 can be a hard pipe or a soft pipe. Sealing devices, such as openable covers 21 are attached on two ends of the intermediate pipe 20 for preventing the liquid working media escaping from the intermediate pipe 20. The dimension and the shape of the intermediate pipe 20 must ensure that the working media in the intermediate pipe 20 can be placed in the wall 11 after being solidified. In this embodiment the internal diameter of the intermediate pipe 20 is about 1 millimeter less than that of the wall 11.

The working media 30 can be, for example, pure water, ammonia, or carbinol. In this embodiment, the working media 30 is pure water. A filling machine 23 is used to pour the working media 30 into the intermediate pipe 20. One of the openable covers 21 is closed before pouring the working media 30 into the intermediate pipe 20. The other openable cover 21 is closed after the working media 30 is completely received in the intermediate pipe 20. In this way, the intermediate pipe 20 can be sealed without vaporization of the working media 30 occurring and the vapor escaping from the intermediate pipe 20. However, if the step S03 will be performed immediately after this step, the intermediate pipe 20 does not need to be sealed.

Step S03, applying a low temperature to the intermediate pipe 20 to solidify the working media 30. The low temperature must be low enough to solidify the working media 30. For example, when the working media is pure water, the low temperature must be lower than 0 degrees Celsius. In this embodiment, the intermediate pipe 20 containing the media 30 is sent to a low temperature station, to solidify the working media 30 while it is in the intermediate pipe 20.

It is to be pointed out that, the preceding sequence of the step S01, step S02, and step S03 is not fixed. A user can first provide a partially formed heat pipe 10, then pour the working media 30 into the intermediate pipe 20 and solidify the working media 30, or first pour the working media 30 into the intermediate pipe 20 and solidify the working media 30, then provide the partially formed pipe 10, or do the both above at the same time.

Step S04, inserting the solidified working media 30 into the partially formed heat pipe 10. In this step, the intermediate pipe 20 and the partially formed heat pipe 10 are set on a working platform 40. The intermediate pipe 20 is set above the partially formed heat pipe 10. The openings of the intermediate pipe 20 and the partially formed heat pipe 10 are coaxially aligned with each other. Open the covers 21 of the intermediate pipe 20, insert the solidified working media 30 in the intermediate pipe 20 into the partially formed heat pipe 10 by means of pushing or extruding.

Step S05, vacuumizing and sealing the partially formed heat pipe 10, thus to obtain a finished heat pipe.

In the present embodiment, the low temperature is remained in the steps S04 and S05 for preventing the solidified working media 30 from liquefying or sublimating and thus escaping from the partially formed heat pipe 10. That is, the steps S04 and S05 are carried out in the same low temperature station as the step S03.

As the working media 30 is solidified when vacuumizing and sealing the partially formed heat pipe 10, the working media 30 will not vapor and escape from the partially formed heat pipe 10, thus, the quantity of the working media 30 in the heat pipe 10 can be accurately controlled.

Moreover, it is to be understood that the disclosure may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit thereof. Thus, the present examples and embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the disclosure is not to be limited to the details given herein. 

1. A heat pipe manufacturing method comprising: providing a partially formed heat pipe with an open end; pouring a predetermined quantity of fluid working media into an intermediate pipe; solidifying the working media at a low temperature; inserting the solidified working media into the partially formed heat pipe at the low temperature; and vacuumizing and sealing the partially formed heat pipe at the low temperature.
 2. The heat pipe manufacturing method of claim 1, further comprising the step of sealing the intermediate pipe after pouring the predetermined quantity of fluid working media into the intermediate pipe.
 3. The heat pipe manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the partially formed heat pipe comprise a wall and a wick structure formed on the inner surface of the wall.
 4. The heat pipe manufacturing method of claim 3, wherein the wall is made by one of copper, aluminum, stainless steel, and alloy steel.
 5. The heat pipe manufacturing method of claim 3, wherein the wick structure is one of sintered type wick structure, screen mesh type wick structure, and grooved type wick structure.
 6. The heat pipe manufacturing method of claim 3, wherein an inner diameter of the intermediate pipe is smaller than an inner diameter of the heat pipe.
 7. The heat pipe manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate pipe further comprises two openable covers attached on two ends of the intermediate pipe.
 8. The heat pipe manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the working media is one of pure water, ammonia, and carbinol. 